Piano-desk check.



Patented May 22, I900. L. HAAS.

PIANO DESK CHECK.

(Application filed Oct. 26, 1899.

1.. a J J Z M w? 3 a w IE 6 w I n 2 Z C.8 1m 0 1 0 m m Ma i J/Azc/Patented May 22, I900.

' L. HAAS.

PIANO DESK CHECK.

. (Application filed Oct. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.

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llwrreb STATES PATENTM @FFICE.

Louis IIAAS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-DESK CHECK.

r'SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 6. 650,006, dated May22, 1 900.

@ Application filed October 26,1899. sextant. 734,897. (Nomodeh) To allwhom it may conc'er'n:

Be it known that I, LOUIS HAAS, a citizen of the United States, residingat New York,

in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Piano-Desk Checks, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to pianos, and particularly to the music-deskportion of the case, it being a means for checking the swing of themusic-desk and for temporarily holding it in the operative position.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which is of simple,inexpensive, and eifective construction and by which the music-desk maybe pulled out to the operative position and there firmly held so long asdesired. Heretofore great trouble and inconvenience have beenexperienced by the breaking of these checks or portions thereof, thedanger of which in the present improved construction is overcome.

In pianos it is most important that all metal portions should be of suchconstruction or so attached as to be unaffected by the vibration of thestrings of the instrument. Manifestly any mechanical applianceimproperly applied to such an instrumentfor example, a loose spring oran improperly-supported spring will be caused to vibrate upon thestriking of some sympathetic note, thus producing a noise termed in thetrade singing. This of course is a fatal defect, which the presentconstruction avoids.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of apiano-case and a musicdesk, showing the check in one of its positions.Fig. 2 is a similar view, the musicdesk being pulled out to theoperative position and illustrating the relative position of the checkwhen the music-desk is pulled out. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of thedetachable check as it appears in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5are detached portions of the check shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Figs. 0to 12 are views of modifications.

A is a portion of a piano-case.

B is a music-desk, which in practice it is common to hinge at its upperedge to the case A. The desk B is provided with a ledge B, upon whichthe lower edge of a sheet of music may rest. When it is desired to placea sheet of music upon the desk B, the lower portion of the latter ispulled out, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it will incline rearward at asuitable angle to properly support the music and pre: vent its fallingoff. To hold the desk Bin either the position shown in Fig. 1 or theposition shown in Fig. 2, I have devised a novel means constructed inits preferable form substantially as follows:

D D are blades having broad bearing-faces pivotally connected with eachother. The free ends of said blades are connected with the music-desk Band the piano-case A. The latter connections are indicated by theletters F F, respectively. The ends of the blades D D that are connectedwith each other bear stop devices G G, which may take the form ofofisets staggered laterally, so as to engage each other when the bladesare in the position shown in Fig. 2. These stops G G may be so placed asto enable the angle of inclination of the music-desk to be readilypredetermined by thus limiting the range of movement of the blades ontheir pivot.

E is the pivot-pin, connecting the ends of the blades D D with eachother. In the preferable form this pivot-pin is headed at one end, and awasher H of suitable form is placed between said head and the adjacentblade-for example, D. The pivot-pin extends sufliciently beyond theblade D to permit the interposition of another washer H and a spring I,which is preferably in the form of a strong coiled spring held in placeby a suitable fastening E. From the bearing-face of one of theblades-for example, Dprojects a detent J, which presses against thebearing-face of the blade D. In the adjacent face of the blade member Dmay be formed any desired number of depressions J J which may be locatedin the path of travel of the detent J. When the blades D D are in theposition indicated in Fig. 1, the detent J will project into thedepression J When the position of the blades are substantially as shownin Fig. 1, the projection J will project into the depression J When themusic-desk B is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the positionshownin Fig. 2, the detent J must necessarily rise outof the depressionJ otherwise the desk would be held in the position shown in Fig. 1. Inorder to permit this, a spring I or its equivalent allows the detent Jto recede from the holding-depression. When the blade members are openedto the desired position, the detent J will be 5 moved into thedepression J, thus temporarily holding with sufficient firmness thecheck in the position indicated in Fig. 2. It is obvious that thisconstruction is susceptible of a variety of modifications and uses, andaccordingly I have illustrated in the drawings a few of suchmodifications which might fairly, be considered as within the spirit andscope of this invention;

In Fig. 6 instead of pivotallyconnecting.

the blades in such a manner that the bearingfaces may be moved apart Ihave substituted in place. of the: rigid detent J a yielding detent J Inthis figure, D D are the blades.

E is the pivotal connection. The blade D 2o is obviously provided withdepressions (not shown) which may correspond, substantially,

to thedepressions J J of Fig. 4. This yielding detent J may be carriedby a spring J,

formed integral with the blade D orv independently thereof and connectedthereto in sucha manner as to efiect the desired end.

I-nFig. 7 I have shown what might fairly be deemedthe equivalent of thespringI. In

this figure I have. modified the construction of the washers II 11, sothat the same are yielding instead of rigid, thus permittingthe.

bearing-faces of the blades to spring apart .for the aforesaid purpose.In this figure, D D are blades which correspond to the blades 33 shownin Figs. 1 to 5. E is a pivot which may correspond substantially to thepivot E.

'Ihe modification resides in the spring-washer .11 and consists informing the incisions in the outer edge of the washer to leave spring-4o arms h h, which will yield, and thus permit the bearing-faces of theblade members to spring apart. v

, In Fig. 8 I-have shown another modification of a spring-washer, inwhich the incisions are 5 made on. the inner edge instead of on theouter edge, thus forming yielding arms h h.

I These modifications will suggest a variety of other changes by whichthe detent J may be permitted to continuously and yieldingly 5o bearagainst the opposite bearing-face (as distinguished from the edge) oftheopposing blade in such a manner as to give the desired frictionalengagement to temporarily hold depression in one of the bladesforexample,

blade D One surface of the ball projects slightlyabove the bearingfaceof the member D and said projecting surface is pressed against thebearing -face of the blade member D in which the previously-describedholding-depressions J J 2 may be formed, in either of which theball-detent I! will be frictionally held so long as desired for. thepurposes previously described. In Figs. 11 and 12 the radially-armedspring :washer H is shown, although other equivalent springs may besubstituted therefor. Any desired number of antifriction -balls L may beemployed, although in these drawings I have shown only two of suchdevices.

What I claim is 1. A check comprising a pair of blades, a pivotalconnection therefor, a fiat bearingface on each blade, inclined-sideddepressions in one of said flat faces, a nose projecting from the otherface and constantly pressing against the face in which. the depressionsare formed to frictionally hold said blades, by engagement in saiddepressions in their relative positions, a spring whereby said constantfrictional engagement is maintained, stop devices to check the movementof said blade members.

2. A check comprising a pair of blades, a pivotal connection therefor, abearing-face on each blade, a ball-bearing resistance-piece projectingfrom one of said faces and against the other, an independent springcarried by said pivotal connection to cause said resistance-piece toyieldingly and constantly bear against the face of the opposite blade,and depressions in said opposite face in the path of travel of saidresistance-piece.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 25th day of October, 1899.

LOUIS IIAAS.

WVitnesses: ,N. MILLs,Jr., -ROLLAND BROWN.

